Theft protection

[Kb1]

Hey guys. This past weekend I had a guy stay, and he seemed really great. But upon my return I noticed that my $400 guitar and $300 iPad are missing. I've asked him about the guitar already (I just discovered the iPad had been taken a few minutes ago) but he said he did not take it--as if anyone would admit to that anyway.

What are the next steps I should take? I am new to this and have never had an issue. I don't know how to contact airbnb about this matter.

Thanks for your help!

[David126]

Call the Police and notify your Insurers.

[Linda108]

@Kb1  Air BNB suggests that you should not have items that either have either sentimental or actual value in your space.  I ask why you left such valuable items in your space.  It is very difficult to prove your guests are responsible.

[Trinity-And-Cristina0]

how does one steal a guitar without being noticed? 

[Kate89]

I have been completely robbed for about $3000 by some junkies which Airbnb sent me. I'm not sure if they even check any backgrounds. Anyways, I reported the case, sent them police report and receipts and they just keep quiet. Keep sending me to other case managers and don't respond to my emails. My advice is just stop hosting people. Drug addicts and other bad people now know how to steal and they re taking advantage of Airbnb and Airbnb is doing absolutely nothing about it, just charging you money. 

[David126]

@Kate89 For the benefit of others I have copied your review and am sorry that you have been put through this. ABB seems to have taken down the guest lisitng and hopefully they will make good your losses through the host guarantee.

The background check is minimal to say the best, more a theoretical ID check. I am not sure how well you have been checking guests out, only so much you can do and the recent changes make it more difficult.

Let us know how AirBnB respond.

Yes, and Luis never came to my room, when I suddenly came from the shower with $60 in his hands:) sorry to disappoint you but I m not that stupid. Needles, blood, what else to proof? You even weren't shy to take my iPad and little laptop, you took old Chinese watch which costs nothing but looks like iwatch:) I wonder why you forget to sell my coffee machine and mini stove? It probably would be give you another extra $8! You never had a job, you stuck in the room for all days long, ate my food... I was always trusting and nice, never said a word to you. And don't lie, I have proof that you both did it. Airbnb has you information and police will go for both of you soon. Your security deposit also was held by the system.

Response from Kate:

Yes, it could be been cleaner if you guys were washing your dishes after your self and didn't leave food in your room, I was absent for 6 days and when I came back my apt was dirty. Bathroom and closets there were with blood spots and hair everywhere on the floor, my fridge door was black from dirt. It all described in my house tools that I'm not cleaning after you ve made a mess. You were smoking in the room, which is prohibited and touching my stuff without letting me know. If my computer stopped working and I'm not there you guys should be call me and ask, I'm a computer specialist myself by the way and know that no one thing is being fixed more than 2 days.

[Kate89]

Hey David I'm really glad that somebody finally responded something reasonable. Hopefully this checking of background is going to be more strict. My friend was robbed completely the same scenario last week, looks like it's word to mouth among thifts that it's the most convenient and no risky way to steal. But the worst part is that all of this people could have some HIV or Hepatitis or something that can really hurt you and ur family after that guests left. 

What should you do in this cas what I did: 

call the police immediately. Basically the police can't search in ur guests room, but at least they can scare ur guests and maybe they will return stolen items.

then in 3 days go to the local police department and take the police report 

take pictures and videos if its possible, it can be used as an evidence 

Collect all you have, including stolen items list with an estimated loss, original purchase receipts, pictures of stolen items like tv or guitar and maybe you have the pics in ur listing, and send everything to Airbnb email.

then all you can do is just wait, and keep calling Airbnb coz as I understood from them their department s are not connected to each other and they can not transfer ur call to the right person, so it's a mess, but keep calling and writing email if nothing works. 

Im still hopeful that someone can help me and you and other victims 

[David126]

I have not had any issues of consequence, yet.

It will happen eventually unless I am really lucky.

Others have suggested for your situation that there are warning signs to look out for that show higher risk.

New to AirBNB

Last minute bookings

No reveiews

One scam is apprently to use a stolen credit card to make a booking at the last minute and by the time the system finds out they have booked in, done whatever they were going to and gone.

[Sara455]

that sounds like someone who is missing a keen sense of the obvious

[Harrison32]

The people who robbed you are thieves. Do you understand the difference between drug addicts and thieves? **

**[Inappropriate content hidden - Community Center Guidelines]

[Sean91]

I lost over £4000 pounds due to a thief introduced by airbnb. The thing is they took my company laptop and personal camera,that's very very annoying. It's not something can be compensated!  I've been hosting for almost 2 years, most of the guests are just like friends. I trusted airbnb system so much that I didn't expect this can happen to me cause I thought  airbnb has guest's ID and deposite. But the police told me, it's quite easy to upload some stolen ID to airbnb and go with the booking.  There is no check on whether the ID is real or reported missing. 

Even they got caught, it's hard to show evidence that those stuffs are stolen by them. So basically, try to get some money back from airbnb customer insurance. That's the only thing I can do. 

Nowdays more and more criminals or iressponsible guests are taking advantage of airbnb. 

For me, maybe I won't trust airbnb anymore if they don't change the way to do due diligence on each newly regitered guest.

[Andrea509]

I thought my keepsakes would be safe if I kept them behind a locked door. But when my very first AirBNB guest came, I thought I heard her closing the door to my daughter's room! I was downstairs and I said to myself, "no, she's just getting out of the shower."

But New Year's Eve when I was boxing up all my daughter's dolls, I noticed there was a fine porcelain music box missing. It was a woman knight on horseback and the music box played "The Impossible Dream." I've had that music box for over 20 years, I even glued it back together after a fight with my sister. This woman's intrusion behind the locked door to my missing daughter's room is especially hurtful to me because she is ALSO a single mother! Why would she re-victimize someone like me, whose child was abducted, when I imagine she would want to be fairly treated and not have HER OWN child taken away as mine was, right out of school one day?

Well, all I can say is, Karma is a bitch.

[Kirstie]

Hi @Andrea509,

I'm really sorry to hear about what happened, I can imagine it was very distressing. Did you ever contact Airbnb about this issue?

I hope you are ok.

Kirstie

[Sara455]

that is distressing to even hear, did she pick the lock?  or was it one you can open with a screw driver

[Tiffany115]

I was robbed as well.  I am hoping airbnb will come through.  The thief was arrested, some of my items found at a pawn shop.  Over 500 guests and five years, never had a problem.  This guest rooted through the whole house, even found old cell phones to find a way to hack paypal-not things out in view.  Paypal has been far worse than airbnb with response.  Disconnect all your accounts from paypal.  Since having paypal hack I have heard it is common.  At least with airbnb this is uncommon.